Soldier Andrii Petruk, call sign SILVER

I am an officer of the 36th Separate Marine Brigade.

Since 2016 I have been defending Ukraine in the Mariupol direction. For me this was never a question of choice. I have always believed and still believe that defending your country is the duty of every true man. By nature I am very cheerful and optimistic. I never liked to complain, even when things were difficult. My life motto is simple: “I am fine, no matter what happens.”

In March 2022, while carrying out a combat mission under artillery fire, I sustained a severe shrapnel wound to the left leg with an open fracture of the tibia. I remember not only the pain. What I thought about most was my parents, my loved ones, and my beloved girl. The hardest thing was realizing that I could not talk to them and tell them that I loved them. On April 11 I still managed to congratulate my beloved on her birthday, and the very next day I wrote her a farewell message. At that point it seemed to me that I would not return home alive.

On April 12, 2022, I was taken prisoner in Mariupol. Ahead were years that are difficult to describe in words. I survived the terrorist attack in Olenivka, then came the Kamyshyne detention facility. Due to the wound I could not walk normally — throughout that entire time I moved by hopping on one leg. But even then I tried to support my fellow soldiers. I joked, encouraged them, and would not let their spirits fall. I myself needed help, but I understood: if I broke down — someone else’s burden would become even heavier.

When almost no strength remained, I thought of my beloved. It was the thought of her that helped me hold on. I wrote poems for her, wrote songs, and dreamed of only one meeting. Every day I repeated to myself: “Hold on. This will all pass.” I was not broken. Not because I was not afraid, but because I very much wanted to return home. To my beloved, to my parents, to my family, to my friends, to my fellow soldiers. I did not allow myself to lose faith — neither in Ukraine nor in our people. I remained a marine officer. And simply a Ukrainian.

Today I am home. I am sincerely grateful to everyone who met us after our return. Those emotions are impossible to forget. It was then that I understood that we are not alone, that Ukrainians remember their defenders and support them.

Ahead of me is still a long road. Right now I am undergoing treatment and pre-operative rehabilitation. In August 2026 a complex surgery awaits me — corrective osteotomy of the tibia and arthroscopy of the knee joint. After it, a lengthy recovery will begin, which may last from nine months to a year, and possibly longer.

Due to the prolonged restriction of weight-bearing, doctors predict a struggle with inflammation, swelling, pain, and muscle atrophy of the injured leg. In addition, significant strain will fall on the healthy leg and the lower back. That is why they recommend that I have my own electrical muscle stimulation device. For me this is not simply a medical device. It is the opportunity to maintain the muscles every day, reduce pain, accelerate recovery, and undergo rehabilitation significantly more effectively.

I very much want to get firmly back on my feet again. I want to return to a full life, to be alongside my beloved, my family, and my friends. And most of all I want my life motto, after everything I have been through, to remain unchanged: “I am fine, no matter what happens.”

Thank you to everyone who will be by my side.

 

COLLECTING: UAH 77,000